Silo.



PATENTBD DBG. 1, 190s.

No MODEL..

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' UNTED STAT-Es Patented December i, 19053;.

PATENT OFFICE.

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srncrrlca'rron forming pas; of Lettere Parent No. 745,666, datedDecember 1, 190e. Application filed February 4| 1903. Serial No.141,903` (No model.)

:To all whom t may concern:

Be it knownY thatV I, EPHRAIM B. Rnrr, a citizen ofthe United States,residing at Washington, in the District of Colun1 bia, have invented newand useful Improvements in Silos,

of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to silos, and 'particularly to door structurestherefor.

Many attempts have been made to produce door structures for silos tomeet the various contingencies incident to filling asilo with andremoving silage therefrom, and many of these structures have been moreor less successful, but all embody defects, particularly in points ofconvenience in applying and removing the doors, rendering the latterair-- tight and facilitating the erection of the'silo.

The present invention contemplates a strncture which may be fullyassembled on the ground or other surface and then disposed in verticalposition and from which the wall of the silo may be regularly completed.

The present invention also contemplates a novel arrangement of posts andT- irons arranged in vertical and horizonal relation for the receptionand positive retention in place of door-sections adapted to openinwardly through the medium of specific break-joints which normallyinterlock `.and obstruct the leakage therethrough of the silage-juicesas well as the admission of air to the interior ot the silo.

The invention also consists in certain novel fastening means for thedoor-sections,'which cooperate with the intermediate interlocking jointsand reduce to a minimum in use by the particular form of such joints.

The invention still further consists in the provision of cross-braces toprevent the posts and parts secured thereto from collapsing and alsoserving as ladder-rou nds or foot-supports.

The invention still further consists in the details of construction andarrangement of the several parts, which will be more fully hereinafterdescribed and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure l is a horizontal section through a portion of asilo and the improved'door structure. Fig. 2 is an exterior elevation ofa portion of a silo and the improved door structure. Fig 3 is atransverse vertical section on the line 3 3,.Fig. 2.

Fig. t is an enlarged detail horizontal section through one of theposts, showing a portion of the T-irons and one door-section.

Similar'numerals of reference are employed to indicatecorresponding'parts in the several views.

The numeral 1 designates the wall of a silo, composed of an interior orinner wall-section 2, made up of overlapped tongue-and-groove strips andhaving studding 3 disposed vertically against and secured to the outerside thereof. Over the studding is secured'an outer wall or sheathing 4,between which and the stndding bands or hoops 5 are interposed andpartially embedded in the studding aswell as terminally secured to thelatter at intera vals. The structure of the Wall of the silo isimmaterial, so far as the present invention is concerned, as it isproposed to apply the improved door structure to any form of silo-wall.

f The improved door structure has opposite posts 6, formed from studdingof suitable dimensions and having inner opposing beveled faces 7, thetwo faces diverging inwardly and increasing the transverse extent of thedooropening adjacent to the inner wall-section 2- of lthe silo. Thebeveled faces 7 extend throughout the full length ot the posts 6 andterminate at their outer portion at transverse slots 8, formed in theposts, one in each, to receive a portion of the heads p9 of T-irons 10,as clearly shown by Fig. 4. The heads 9 of the T-irons are in transversealinement, and the legs l1 thereof snugly bear against the inneropposing surfaces of the posts 6 in advance of the slots 8 and securedto said posts by screw-bolts or analogous fastenings 12, the heads ofthe latter being permitted to project inwardly. At regular intervalshorizontally-disposed T-irons let are connected to theT-irons 10, theheads ot' the irons 14- being located loutwardly and the legs thereofprojected inwardly, as clearly shown by Fig. 3. As shown by Fig. a, theheads of the irons 14 are bolted to the inwardly-projecting portions ofthe heads 9 ot the irons 10, stove-bolts being preferably employed forthis purpose, though other analogous fastenings can be used. The headsof the bolts connecting the heads of the irons 14 to the heads 9 of theirons 10 are countersunk, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. fi, so as toleave the legs and roo inner surfaces of the heads of the irons 14Without obstructing project-ions to enable a door to be iitted snugly inthe said T-irons between the posts 6.

Each door is made up of separable sections 15, and while only twosections are shown it will be understood that their number could beincreased without in the least departing from the spirit of theinvention. The sections 15 are rabbeted at their upper and lowerportions and at the opposite sides to compensate for the projection ofthe heads of the T- irons 14 and to permit the sections to bear snuglyagainst the heads 9 of the T-irons 10. The material of which thedoor-sections are formed is cut away sufficiently at the meeting edgesof each set of sections or doors to compensate for theinwardly-projecting legs of the T-irons 14, and by means of thisparticular fitting o f the several door-sections airtight jointsare'establshed. The intermediate orinterlocking joints of thedoor-sections between the T-irons 14 are rst beveled upwardly andinwardly from the exterior of the silo and then downwardly and inwardly,as at 16, (see Fig. 3,) the outer bevels being above the planes of theinner bevels to provide abutting shoulders 17. The formation of thebevels, as just set forth, renders the assemblage of the .door-sectionsexpeditious in View of the fact that the edges of the sections soconstructed will be instantly centered in relation to each other whenassembling them in the door-frame. Moreover, the said beveled jointswill obstruct any tendency of thejuices of the silage from passingthrough to the exterior of the doors, and, furthermore, a perfectlyair-tight joint will be provided in each instance. The upper section ofeach pair or series of sections adjacent to the intermediateinterlocking joints is provided with oppositely-disposed turn -buttonsor othersimilar fastenings 18 to engage the outer surfaces of the head 9of the T-irons 10 to relieve the strain of the interior pressure fromthe said interlocking joints. The edges of the sections which arelocated adjacent to the T- irons 14 are also provided withvertically-extending retention-clips 19, which snugly t against theouter sides of the heads of the said T-irons 14 and prevent the sectionsat such points from moving inwardly out of place when applying the sameprevious to filling the silo or in shifting them in opening dierentportions of the door structure of the silo to remove the silage.

To prevent collapsing of the T-irons 10 and the posts 6, to which theyare connected, tubular cross-braces 20 are employed and havescrew-threaded terminals 21, provided with sleeves 22, which are freelyadjustable and adapted to [it over the heads of the screwbolts 12 tohold the braces in applied position. The braces 2O are readilyapplicable by first adjusting the sleeves 22 inwardly thereover asufficient distance to permit said braces to be interposed betweentransversely-alined heads of the bolts 12 and then moving the saidsleeves outwardly to fit over the said heads. It will be seen that thebraces can be readily detached by moving the sleeves 22 inwardlythereover to clear the heads of the bolts 12. These braces also providefootrests or ladder-rounds, whereby ascent may be made to the top orupper portion of the silo, and the bands 5, which cross the doorstructure in alinement with the braces 20, can also be used forascending the silo.

As before stated, the braces 20 prevent collapsing of the side membersof the door structure, and theT-irons 14 obstruct outward or lateraldisplacement or bulging of the said side members of the door structure,and the latter is thus always maintained in true condition for receivingthe doors and to preserve air-tight joints.

YThe door, including the sections set forth, are regularly applied asthe silo is filled up to certain levels, and in fitting the sections inthe frame they are bent inwardly at the center, and the upper and loweredges of the respective sections are disposed in rear of the heads oftheT-irons 14 and the two sections then sprung outwardly at the center andlocked through the medium of the fastenings 18, heretofore explained.This operation is continued until the silo is filled andall thedoor-sections have been applied. The silage is removed from the silo inthe usual manner for feeding or other purposes, and the doors aresuccessively opened at dierent levels; but instead of entirely detachingthe doors and storing them on the ground-surface or other place at adistance from the silo they are reapplied in an upper position, and theportion of the door structure from which they have been removed remainscontinually open until the silage has been removed to a level below thelowermost portion of said opening or to a point opposite the door nextbelow.

The improved door structure will be found exceptionally advantageous insilo erection, particularly in view of the fact that the posts andT-irons may be assembled on the ground or other surface and elevated inproper position to have the wall of the silo built therefrom and withoutrequiring the erection ofv .other analogous material, the'innertongueand-grooved strips being disposed vertically and the outer platesin planes at right angles to the inner ones, thereby obstructing anytendency to warping and providing a strong and durable door. It willalso be seen that when the door-sections are forced outwardly by thepressure of the silage within the silo the opposite side edges thereofwill be firmly jammed against the beveled faces 7 of the posts 6, thesaid edges of the sections being ICO IIO

l correspondinglybeveled to produce a tight joint, as clearly shown byFig. l. Moreover, by embedding a portion of the head of each T-iron 10within the post 6 a considerable amount of the strain is removed fromthe fastening-bolts 12,and said T-irons are less liable to be pressedoutwardly or become displaced.

Having thus fully described the invention, what is claimed as new is- 1.The combination with a silo, of a door structure comprisingr oppositeposts having vertically-disposed T-irons secured thereto,horizontally-disposed T-irons secured at regular intervals to thevertical T-irons to form door-openings, and sectional doors removablymounted in the said opening.

2. The combination with a silo, of a door structure comprising uprightflanged irons secured to opposite sides thereof and horizontal flangedirons connected at intervals to the upright irons to deiinedoor-openings, and doors to removably fit in said openings consisting ofsections having intermediate reversely-beveled meeting edges.

3. The combination with a silo, of a door structure, comprising oppositeposts having T-irons secured thereto and extending the full verticallength thereof, horizontally-disposed T-irons secured to the saidvertical T- irons at'regular intervals to regularly definedoor-openings, sectional doorsv removably iitted in said openings, andouter cross-braces freely applicable to and removable from portions ofthe vertical T-irons and adapted to serve also as foot-rests.

4. The combination with a silo, of a door structure, comprising oppositevertically-disposed posts, T-irons having the heads thereof partially'let into the posts and the legs projected outwardly, horizontallydisposed T-irons having the heads thereof secured. to the heads of thevertical T-irons and the legs projected inwardly and regularly definingdoor-openings,and sectional doors removably mounted in the saiddoonopenings.

5.4 The combination with a silo, of a door structure, comprisingoppositely disposed vertically-arranged posts with inner beveled faces,vertical T-irons secured to saidV posts, horizontal T-irons secured tothe vertical T- irons to regularly define door-openings, and doors toremovably fit the said openings comrising se arable sections havinintermediate reversely-beveled joints and opposite sideV edge bevels.

6. The combination` with a silo, of a door structure comprising oppositeposts having vertical T-irons secured thereto with their heads disposedinwardly, horizontal T-irons having their heads arranged outwardly andsecured to the heads of the vertical T-irons, the said horizontalT-irons regularly defining door-openings, and doors removably fitted inthe said openings and comprising sections having intermediateinterlocking joints, the uppermost section in each instance being-provided with fastenings to engage the heads of the vertical T-iron.

7. The combination with a silo, of a door structure, comprising oppositeposts having T-irons secured thereto with the heads there of disposedinwardly, horizontal T-irons secured at regular intervals tothe'vertical T- irons and having their heads outermost, anddoor-sections fitted between the said horizontal T-irons and providedrespectively at the upper and lower edges thereof with clips to bearagainst the heads of said horizontal T- irons. Y

8. The combination with a silo, of a door structure comprising oppositeposts having vertical T-irons secured thereto with their heads .disposedinwardly, horizontal T-irons having their heads arranged outwardly andsecured to the heads ot the vertical T-irons, the said horizontalT-irons regularly defining door-openings, doors removably tted in thesaid openings and comprising sections having intermediate interlockingjoints, the uppermost section in each instance being provided withfastenings to engage the heads 'of the vertical T-iron, and clips on theupper edges ot' the upper sections and lower edges of the lower sectionsto removably engage the heads of the horizontal T-irons.

9. The combination with a silo, of a door EPHRAIM B. RRPP.

Witnesses:

L. M. Go'rwALD, CHAS. S. HYER.

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